Sandy Hill

The woodland around Sandy Hill, just outside Guildford, is proper Surrey - all dense conifers and sandy paths that crunch underfoot in dry weather. It's the sort of forest where light filters through in shafts and everything smells of pine needles and damp earth, even when it hasn't rained for weeks.

What you're doing here is walking. There aren't facilities or visitor centres - it's just woodland to explore on foot, which means it works brilliantly if you want to escape the manicured park circuit for a few hours. The terrain is manageable for families with decent walkers, though younger kids might find it samey after the first half-mile. History types won't find much to grab onto, but if you're after proper forest air and a break from other people, this delivers.

Timing-wise, allow anything from 45 minutes to a full afternoon depending on how far you want to push into it. Go when the ground's reasonably dry - the sandy soil drains okay but winter here gets boggy. Spring and early autumn are best, when the light's lower and the place doesn't feel quite so maze-like.

If you're based at one of the nearby sites - Edgeley Holiday Park is barely two miles away, or Surrey Hills Yurts is under six - Sandy Hill makes a solid half-day leg-stretcher rather than a destination in itself. Pair it with Guildford's town centre if the weather turns, or use it as a warm-up walk before tackling something more ambitious in the Surrey Hills proper.